Manuscript for the service on Sept 20

 + 15^th Sunday after Trinity +

 

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

 

INTROIT   Psalm 86

Incline your ear, O Lord, and  answer me,
save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious;
turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maid-servant.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever.  Amen.
Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
save your servant, who trusts in you—you re my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.

 

COLLECT OF THE DAY

P .

O Lord, we implore You, let Your continual pity cleanse and defend Your Church; and because she cannot continue in safety without Your aid, preserve her evermore by Your help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

C Amen.

 

 

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS LSB 187

P Glory be to God on high:

C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,

we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.

O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.

Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,

art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

 

 

 

OLD TESTAMENT READING 1 Kings 17:8–16

⁸Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], ⁹“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” ¹⁰So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” ¹¹And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” ¹²And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” ¹³And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” ¹⁵And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

 

EPISTLE Galatians 5:25—6:10

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

¹Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ²Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵For each will have to bear his own load.

⁶One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. ⁷Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. ⁸For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. ⁹And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. ¹⁰So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

 

A This is the Word of the Lord.

 

 

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the sixth chapter.

 

 

²⁴[Jesus said:] “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

 

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

 

NICENE CREED

C I believe in one God,

     the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth

          and of all things visible and invisible.

 

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

     the only-begotten Son of God,

     begotten of His Father before all worlds,

     God of God, Light of Light,

     very God of very God,

     begotten, not made,

     being of one substance with the Father,

     by whom all things were made;

     who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

     and was made man;

     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

     He suffered and was buried.

     And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

          and ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of the Father.

     And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

     whose kingdom will have no end.

 

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the Lord and giver of life,

     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

     who spoke by the prophets.

     And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

     and I look for the resurrection of the dead

     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

 

 

Sermon

 

Matthew 6 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them (vs. 26). 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (vs 28 & 29).  

You have been invited by your friend and Savior Jesus Christ, to pause for a moment. Put away all thoughts of money and debts. Stop for now thinking of income and losses, of balances and net worth. Take a break from all those anxious thoughts. Put them out of your mind and consider the birds of the air. Our heavenly Father feeds them. 

No other preacher, theologian, or philosopher in all the history of the world has ever been able to say it so well. Every human being, all over the world, of all generations can benefit from this: Pause for a moment and look at the birds of the air. Consider the lilies of the field. See God at work all around. He cares for His creation. So it is for you to remember that. Hear these sure words of Jesus and keep them.  

If you are prone to anxious thoughts -- and I know that many of you listening are -- Learn these words of Jesus by heart. Print these words out and tape them to your bathroom mirror or your desk top, so you see them again later. Pause again. Look at the birds. Consider the lilies. If God takes care of them, why would you worry that He won’t take care of you, O you of little faith?  

Doesn’t it sting a little to hear Jesus say that, “O you of little faith”? This is a section of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is talking to the disciples. He’s not talking to the crowds. He’s not talking to the world. He’s talking to disciples, His followers, Christians. Why would Jesus say of them (or of people like us) that we have a little amount of faith? These are disciples who, within a few years would be in heaven. But at this moment they are living on earth and thinking too much as if all that matters is the stuff of earth. They rely on what their eyes see too much. They rely on their faulty reason too much. They live with their fears too much.  

Their eyes see the troubles of this world. Their faulty reason takes in all the sights of pestilence, and violence, and poverty and weakness, and rumors of wars and economic collapse, environmental catastrophes. And their faulty reason uses only what can be noticed in this world and so it breeds fear and anxiety. So the Lord has to once again, speak out. Stop. Take a pause. Look at the birds. Consider the lilies. Believe in the care of your heavenly Father. Believe it. There’s so much more going on than what we can see right now. 

If your anxious thoughts get out of control, if you have an old bad habit of suffering troubles that haven’t even come your way yet, if you worry when you should believe, you have to admit it. You are one of those of little faith. Go ahead and admit it. Admit that it’s a sin. Realize you have sins of thought, word and deed. This is a sin of thought. 

And then look again at Jesus’ words. Remember Jesus words. You can believe Jesus words. Your heavenly Father takes care of you, and that includes even up to the point of forgiving you all of your sins of thought, word and deed. The Heavenly Father certainly does that; He put His Son on the line to do so. 

Here’s a crude example, but it might help. None of us here can see viruses. Perhaps we’ve seen electronic images of them. But even that is far removed from our personal perception. We only see the symptoms. We’ve been told about them from professionals, whom  we expect to be knowledgeable and honest. So we believe in viruses. Further, we’ve heard instructions about how we should treat viruses. And our lives have been changed by that instructions. If you can do all that, for some germ you can’t see, but you’ve been warned about, then you had better also take to heart what Jesus your Lord says is so. And change your thought patterns, your behavior and your course of life, because of what Jesus tells you.

Here’s a better example, because it comes from the Bible. You reap what you sow. “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). If all your attention is on the flesh and the earthly matters pertaining to the flesh, you end up disappointed, eternally disappointed. If you give attention to the things of the Spirit, you’ll have eternal life. The Spirit puts faith in your soul, as you hear Jesus’ words. The Spirit, from baptism on, dwells with the believer constantly, guiding, comforting assuring of the love and patient care of God, Father, Son and Spirit. 

God takes care of you. Moment by moment, day by day, and on into eternal life God takes care of you. These present worrisome troubles are not worth worrying about. God is taking care of us for eternal life because of Jesus who lived, died and rose again, all so you could trust Him when He says, God takes care of you. Amen. 

 

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

P Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.

 

Heavenly Father, be gracious to us, Your baptized children, for temptations and anxieties surround us. Gladden our souls with the good news of Your Son’s perfect life and sacrificial death for our salvation. Strengthen us in the faith, and fill us with Your Spirit, that we might trust in You for all things temporal and eternal. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, show Your abundant mercy to all those whom You have called to preach Christ and Him crucified. According to Your gracious will, grant faithful pastors to all vacant congregations, and restore to service those pastors without a congregation to serve. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, grant opportunities for honest and faithful labor to all, especially to the unemployed, and give us all contentment and joy as we carry out our daily tasks. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, grant wisdom to the president, the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States; to the leaders of our states and localities; and to the rulers of the world, that they would seek peace, promote life and protect the weakest among us. Guard and protect those who serve in our armed forces and emergency services, that they may serve with integrity and return home safely. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, give ear to our prayers for the sick, the suffering, the lonely, the shut-in, the depressed, the dying and all those in any need. Be merciful and gracious to them, and strengthen them in their trials. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, grant that all who partake of Your Son’s body and blood in the fellowship of this altar today would do so in repentance and faith, and to their abundant blessing. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Heavenly Father, according to Your will, and in Your time, You call Your children to rest from their labors. Receive our thanks for those who have gone before us in the faith, and grant that we, who walk as yet by faith, may join them in their holy rest, until that day when You raise us incorruptible and immortal. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

 

P Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

 

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven,

     hallowed be Thy name,

     Thy kingdom come,

     Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;

     give us this day our daily bread;

     and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;

     and lead us not into temptation,

     but deliver us from evil.

     For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

BENEDICAMUS

A Bless we the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

BENEDICTION

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and T give you peace.

C Amen.

 

750 IF THOU BUT TRUST IN GOD TO GUIDE THEE

1 If thou but trust in God to guide thee
    And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
    And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.

 2 What can these anxious cares avail thee,

    These never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
    O’er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

 3 Be patient and await His leisure

    In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure
    And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

4 God knows full well when times of gladness

    Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness
    And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

5 Nor think amid the fiery trial

    That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That he whose hopes meet no denial
    Must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring
And sets a bound to ev’rything.

 6 All are alike before the Highest;

    ’Tis easy for our God, we know,
To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
    To make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by Him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to naught.

 7 Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,

    Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word; though undeserving,
    Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Text: Public domain

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.